The Absentee Explanation
by bigbangenthusiast
Summary: Meemaw is overjoyed when she receives an invitation to Sheldon and Amy's wedding, but she struggles with the fact that attending the celebration is unlikely.


**A/N: I received a prompt on tumblr from Fancyfurypoetry requesting a story explaining in detail why Meemaw wasn't at Sheldon and Amy's wedding. In case some people aren't aware, CBS released an audioclip with Meemaw's explantion a few days after the finale aired. It was cut from the episode due to time constraints. I have included the text here and created a backstory to go along with it. I hope you enjoy!**

Meemaw thanked Charlene, her homecare aide, for bringing in her mail. She was grateful for the help, as she wasn't as spry as she used to be. Luckily her mind was still sharp as a tack.

Seated in her rocking chair, she sorted through various envelopes and flyers. As she set each item on the end table, her annoyance grew. It seemed like all she ever received these days were bills and junk mail. Sometimes she missed the old days when people took the time to send hand-written letters so there would be something to look forward to. My, how the world had changed.

Bill, bill, grocery store flyer, credit card offer... wait. What was this? She held a white envelope addressed to Mrs. Constance Tucker in a penmanship she was very familiar with. She turned it over to find a shiny silver label with the names of her favorite grandson and his betrothed sealing the contents. She knew the day was coming, but seeing it with her own eyes made it so much more real. Sheldon was finally getting married.

Carefully, she lifted a corner of the label and tore it from the paper. With slightly shaky hands, she lifted the invitation from the envelope and hugged it to her chest. She always knew there was a special lady out there who would treasure her Moonpie as much as she did, though there had been a few tense months in which she had doubts.

When Sheldon had called her crying that Amy had dumped him right before he planned to propose, she had been outraged. It broke her heart hearing the hurt in his voice. When he called a few months later to say they had gotten back together, she had been skeptical, even after he admitted he was at least partly to blame for the breakup. It was easier to feel anger toward his girlfriend than to scold him, as he was her grandson, and Amy was just some faceless woman. Okay, maybe not quite, as Sheldon had sent her pictures of the brunette over the years, but there were still a lot of unknowns about her.

Meemaw had only spoken with Amy on the phone once to share her Christmas cookie recipe, so as soon as she was able, she set out to see what kind of woman she really was. She had intended to come with an open mind, but upon meeting her, all Meemaw could think of was how she had hurt her Moonpie. She had been very rude and cold, hoping Amy would be so uncomfortable with her hostility that she would feel being in a relationship with Sheldon wasn't worth the effort, but her plan backfired. The young woman defiantly stood by her man, and Meemaw was secretly impressed.

Over the months, Sheldon had tried relieving the tension between the two women by hosting Skype chats with the three of them. Missy was kind enough to bring Meemaw her laptop and set up the chat then leave for an hour to give them some privacy. During these sessions, Amy proved herself to be the perfect mate for her challenging grandson. She was patient and kind and accepted him as he was, and Sheldon was thriving. He had gone from being a stubborn, egotistical man to one much less so, all because of her. Slowly the anger faded and was replaced with genuine adoration on both ends.

Bringing herself back to the present, Meemaw's eyes scanned the elegant font:

 _TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES_

 _AMY FARRAH FOWLER_

 _AND_

 _SHELDON LEE COOPER_

 _REQUEST THE HONOR OF YOUR PRESENCE AT THEIR WEDDING_

 _SATURDAY, THE 12TH OF MAY_

 _TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN_

 _AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON_

 _THE ATHENAEUM_

 _ON THE CAMPUS OF THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY_

 _PASADENA, CALIFORNIA_

 _RECEPTION TO FOLLOW_

Included in the envelope was a matching RSVP card.

Meemaw sighed heavily. She had been waiting for this event a very long time. Unfortunately, the last two years hadn't been kind to her. How could she tell her Moonpie she was too frail for the journey to California? She couldn't just check the "Unable to Attend" box. If only Missy and Jake weren't fighting. She would ask her to help set up a Skype session so she could at least see her youngest grandson's face when she gave him the news and offer some comfort. She glanced at the phone next to her. It was her second best option.

Meemaw picked up the receiver then quickly hung up. Maybe she was strong enough to make the trip. How could she not even try? Sheldon had been a very difficult child, and all through his life, she had been there for him, even when he didn't want anyone's help. She had even outsmarted him on occasion, such as when he locked himself in the garage to hide from the germ-infested neighborhood during flu season. Mary had tried and failed to get her son to come out, but Meemaw's foolproof plan of luring him out by asking how he could let a little thing like the flu scare him was all it took for him to remove the HAZMAT suit and rejoin his family. If she could come up with a plan for that, she could come up with a way to make it to his wedding.

All night Meemaw tossed and turned, but the next morning when Charlene helped her out of bed and into the shower, she knew her ailments had defeated her plans.

After spending the day reading and watching TV, her mind wandering the whole time as she waited for Sheldon's work day to end, she picked up the phone to make the call she was dreading. The ringing on the other end of the line rattled her nerves even further. Sheldon always answered on the second ring. When his voicemail picked up, she hung up. Perhaps they were making some final wedding preparations, and he had his ringer off. She had waited all day, so what was one more hour?

An hour later there was still no answer. This wasn't how she planned to tell him, but with his busy schedule, leaving a message might be the best she could do. She listened to his recorded greeting, to the voice of a man who, it seemed only yesterday, had been the little boy who lived across the street from her, playing with trains in his parents' garage.

At the sound of the beep, she took a deep breath then proceeded to speak.

 _"Hey, Moonpie. I'm so sorry I can't be there on your special day, but I'm 93 years old, so cut me some slack. I can't believe I was at all your brother's weddings and your sister's tense, angry trip to the courthouse, and the one I'm missing is the only one I think is gonna last. Don't tell them I said that. Let me do it. Love you."_

She set the phone back in its cradle, tears in her eyes. She had tried to keep the message lighthearted for Sheldon's sake, but now the tears flowed freely and she choked out a sob.

"Mrs. Tucker, are you alright?"

Meemaw looked up at her aide and shook her head slowly. "Not really."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Meemaw lifted her glasses and swiped at her tears. "Not today, Charlene."

"Shall we get you ready for bed?"

"Yes. I don't think I'll get much sleep again tonight, but I know you have a family to get home to."

"Mrs. Tucker, if you're not ready..."

"I have books I can read in bed."

"If you're sure..."

"Positive."

When she was tucked in, romance book in hand, Charlene asked one more time if there was anything else she could do before she left for the night.

"Nothing tonight, but there is something I can use your help with tomorrow. I need some help securing two plane tickets so my grandson and his soon-to-be wife can visit me this summer. It will be my wedding gift to them."

"That's a lovely gesture. I know they will love to come for a visit. We'll look at some wonderful cost-saving apps together on my tablet tomorrow. Now try to get some rest."

Meemaw read a chapter and felt her eyes getting heavy. She yawned and set the novel and her glasses on the nightstand then lifted the blanket to her chin as she settled in, eventually falling into a dreamful sleep. In her mind were images of Sheldon and Amy in Texas, the three of them chatting and sipping lemonade while they played a video of their wedding for her. The corners of dreaming Meemaw's mouth subconsciously lifted up as the young couple talked animatedly about their special day, their expressions full of love for each other. The wait to see them would be worth it.


End file.
